The station is Australia's largest combined cycle power station and features three 120-megawatt gas turbines and one 270-megawatt steam turbine to provide a total of 630 megawatts of power.

The gas is sourced from coal seam fields near Roma.

Combined with two nearby power stations, the Dalby energy hub provides between 20 and 30 per cent of Queensland's electricity needs, Ms Bligh said.

About 15 per cent of Queensland's electricity is now provided by gas-fired energy plants.

The Dalby plant used less than 3 per cent of the water used by a coal-fired power station.

Origin Energy development projects general manager Andrew Stock said the plant was "extremely frugal" in its water use.

"The technology employed in the Darling Downs Power Station will cut annual water use to around 200 megalitres, compared to 8,500 megalitres for a conventional water-cooled coal-fired power station," he said.

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Annual water usage to be around 200 megalitres compared to 8500 megalitres seems to say it all.